Flood wall protection system

Abstract

A system and method for constructing any desired length of height linear cellular chain for use as a protective wall system, including a chain of fabric bulk bags, each having an open upper end, and interconnected along their sidewalls to define the cellular chain; and a fabric channel formed on the upper ends of each of the adjoining bags sidewalls for engaging a bag support and filling system, which includes a first metal frame member having a pair of arm members for threading through two adjacent fabric channels; the frame supported by a base member resting on the ground; a second metal frame member for receiving the distal ends of each of the arm members of the first metal frame member, at a level so that the bulk bag is supported by the arm members; bulk material to be poured into the supported bulk bag, to a level that the bag is substantially filled and no longer requires the support of the frame, so that the frame can be removed and positioned onto the next pair of fabric channels to fill the next empty bag.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for constructing any desired length or height cellular chain for use as a protective wall system, comprising:
 a chain of fabric cells, each having an upper end, and interconnected along their sidewalls to define the cellular chain; 
 a fabric channel formed on the upper ends of each of an adjoining cells sidewalls; 
 a support frame, comprising a first frame member having a pair of arm members for threading through two adjacent fabric channels; 
 a second frame member for receiving a distal end of each of the arm members of the first frame member, at a level so that the cell is supported by the arm members; and 
 bulk material to be poured into the supported cell, to a level that the cell is substantially filled and no longer requires the support of the support frame, so that the support frame can be removed and positioned onto the next pair of fabric channels to fill the next empty cell. 
 
     
     
       2. The system in  claim 1 , wherein the support frame is a first frame and further comprising a second frame engaging a second pair of fabric channels adjacent the first pair of fabric channels secured by the first frame, so that the two frames support three empty cells that are ready to be filled with material. 
     
     
       3. The system in  claim 2 , wherein when the three cells are filled with material, the cells become self-supporting without a need for the two frames. 
     
     
       4. The system in  claim 3 , wherein when the first three cells are filled, the first and second frames are removed and positioned onto the next two sets of pairs of fabric channels, so that the next three cells can be filled. 
     
     
       5. The system in  claim 2 , wherein the first and second frames may be positioned along the chain of cells to allow the chain to bend from a straight flood barrier system to a curved flood barrier system if necessary. 
     
     
       6. A method of constructing any desired length or height cellular chain for use as a protective wall system, comprising the steps of:
 providing a chain of fabric cells, each having an upper end, and interconnected along their sidewalls to define the cellular chain; 
 forming a fabric channel on the upper ends of each of an adjoining cells sidewalls; 
 providing a first frame member having a pair of arm members; 
 threading each arm member through two adjacent fabric channels; 
 providing a second frame member for receiving a distal end of each of the arm members of the first frame member, at a level so that the cell is supported by the arm members; 
 pouring bulk material into the supported cell, to a level that the cell is substantially filled and no longer requires the support of the frame; 
 removing the first and second frame members from the filled cell; and 
 positioning the first and second frame members onto the next pair of fabric channels to support the next empty cell to be filled. 
 
     
     
       7. The method in  claim 6 , further comprising the step of engaging first and second frame members to a second pair of fabric channels adjacent the first pair of fabric channels secured by the first frame member, so that the first and second frame members support three empty cells that are ready to be filled with material. 
     
     
       8. The method in  claim 7 , comprising the step of removing the first and second frame members from the first and second pair of fabric channels when the three cells supported by the first and second frame members are filled with material. 
     
     
       9. The method in  claim 8 , wherein when the first and second frame members are removed from the first three filled cells, the first and second frame members are positioned onto the next two sets of pairs of fabric channels, so that the next three cells can be filled. 
     
     
       10. The method in  claim 6 , wherein the chain of cells is a first chain and further comprising the step of engaging a first empty cell of a second chain of cells to an outer wall of a last unfilled cell of the first chain, so that when the first empty cell is filled, it forms a fluid seal against the outer wall of the last filled cell in the first chain. 
     
     
       11. The method in  claim 6 , wherein each cell has a substantially vertical rear wall and a slanted front wall and wherein the plurality of cells forming the chain are positioned so that each of the substantially vertical rear walls of the filled cells face flooding waters and the slanted front wall of each of the cells face away from the flooding waters which adds stability to the chain of cells forming the flood barrier. 
     
     
       12. The method in  claim 11 , wherein a plurality of first frame members are provided and wherein arm members of the plurality of first frame members are supported onto a single second frame so that the barrier is able to make a sharp turn if required.